Big Brother
by Rae325
Summary: Mason finds out that he's going to be a big brother. A one-shot to fill in the blanks left by the deleted scene in 6x03.


_After seeing the picture of the deleted scene from 6x03 with Mason's hand on Charlotte's belly, and reading the writers' tweet that "Mason is excited to be a big brother," I couldn't help but write a story to fill in the gaps._

* * *

"I said no kissing!" Cooper just shrugs his shoulders happily. He adores his wife, and he adores the three lives that she's growing. Charlotte is trying to look annoyed, but she's failing miserably. It's true that Charlotte is trying to be less difficult, trying to indulge her husband who already loves their children so much, but she also is letting Cooper talk to her belly for herself. She needs to hear him talk to the babies, needs her husband to help her begin to love these children too.

Cooper and Charlotte are pulled from the moment by Mason's voice. "Are you pregnant?" He's standing in the back of the room, and he obviously hasn't just arrived. This isn't how Charlotte or Cooper wanted Mason to find out. They wanted to tell him, to prepare him for this enormous change in their family.

Charlotte gives a nod and tells Mason, "Come here."

Instead of sitting down on the couch, Mason stands behind it. His face is unreadable, and Charlotte wonders if Mason is keeping his distance because he's upset. Charlotte's trying to think of what to say, when Mason asks, "Can I feel?"

"Sure, but there isn't really anything to feel yet. It's too early to feel the babies moving." Mason reaches down anyway, and Charlotte guides his hand to where she knows the currently plum-sized babies are residing.

"You're having twins?" Mason asks, as Charlotte wraps her other hand around Mason's arm. She's still working on what to say to him, but she wants to be as affectionate as possible with her son right now. She wants him to know that he's not being replaced, that he is just as much her child as these babies will be.

Cooper answers happily, "Triplets!" He's been dying to tell everybody, and though Charlotte has managed to keep him from spilling the beans to too many of their friends, Cooper can't pass up the opportunity to be excited about the triplets.

"Come sit with us, Mase," Charlotte says, tugging gently at his arm. Mason walks over and sits on the couch next to Charlotte, and Cooper gets off the floor to sit on his son's other side. Charlotte smiles at Mason and runs her hand over his hair. "How do you feel about being a big brother?" Charlotte asks.

"It seems cool," Mason says, before looking at Cooper. "Is that why you asked if I wanted a sibling a few weeks ago?"

Before Cooper can say anything, Charlotte interrupts, "You what?!"

"I was just asking," Cooper says, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Mason looks back at his momma and asks, "Is it fun having little brothers?"

"It is. Uncle Duke and Uncle Landry were handfuls when they were small, but it's great growing up with siblings. I wouldn't trade those two for the world." Charlotte puts her hand on Mason's back, "You know, your baby brothers or sisters are really lucky to have you as a big brother."

"Yep," Mason agrees. "I'm going to take really good care of them, I promise. I'm going to teach them to play football and to ride a bike."

Charlotte smiles. Between Cooper and Mason's excitement, she's going to be unable to keep up her cynicism about the babies much longer.

"I know you are, babe," Charlotte tells her son. He seems happy, but none the less she needs to tell him a few things. "You know that your daddy and I are always going to have time for you, right? It doesn't matter how many kids we have, we are always going to take care of you." Mason nods. "And Mase," Charlotte says, suddenly sounding extremely serious. "You are every bit as much my kid as these three will be." She looks her son in the eye, needs him to hear this. "I love you so much, and it doesn't make any difference that I didn't give birth to you. You are my son. You got that?"

Mason smiles and nods; he looks a little teary. He throws his arms around Charlotte and hugs her tightly. "I love you Mason," Charlotte repeats.

"I love you too, Momma," Mason tells Charlotte, before pulling back and smiling at her. He seems to believe her, for which Charlotte is extremely grateful. She had imagined this going terribly, had imagined Mason feeling like she was replacing him, like she would love her biological children more than him. But as far as she can tell, Mason seems ok right now. He seems to know how much she loves him.

She must have done something right for him to know, Charlotte thinks. She's done something right with this kid, and maybe she can do right by his little siblings too. She hopes so.

"When can we find out if they're boys or girls?" Mason asks.

"In a couple of weeks," Cooper says, "You hoping for a little brother?"

Mason shrugs. "Doesn't matter. I just want to know."

"I kind of wanted it to be a surprise," Cooper says.

"No more surprises!" Charlotte insists. She's had enough surprises to last her a lifetime.

Cooper chuckles at his wife. "Ok, no surprise it is then."

They sit together quietly for a moment, and Charlotte feels incredibly content. She loves her husband and her son, and she lets herself be open to the idea of loving the new members of her family just as much.


End file.
